Aegan had never looked as bad as he did in that moment; and he felt it too.
For many days past, Lavern and the other members of the Brotherhood had held the old lord down in the dungeon beneath the palace castle, torturing him in every way imaginable. Their goal was simple: to break and force him to crown the older Winchmore as king of Cyrian. But he never broke.
Thing is, Aegan was a very big believer in Richard and his works. The king was like a son to him; someone in whom he saw the true potential of the great house of Winchmore; and this belief kept him strong, even to the point of willing to lay down his life if it meant that Richard continued to live and rule Cyrian.
But strength wasn't what came to the old lord when he looked up to see the king standing in the courtyard with the
